Source: CNN

By Sara Sidner, Frederik Pleitgen and Mohammed Fadel Fahmy, CNN

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story included a misinterpretation of a statement made by Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the United States. CNN misinterpreted what Oren said when he talked about Israel’s willingness to negotiate with its neighbors if they “just stop shooting at us.” Because Gaza, which is run by Hamas, is one of Israel’s neighbors, and because Hamas is the only entity “shooting” at Israel, we thought Oren was indicating a willingness to negotiate with Hamas. Oren, in fact, did not say Israel was willing to negotiate with Hamas.

Near the Israel-Gaza border (CNN) — Egypt’s intelligence chief is spearheading talks with Hamas and Israel to forge a stop to the five days of warring that has engulfed Gaza and the Jewish state and head off an Israeli ground offensive into the besieged Palestinian territory.

Mohammed Shehata contacted Israel and requested that it “calm down” the situation, a general with Egyptian intelligence told CNN. He is trying to persuade both sides to reach a cease-fire, and negotiations are still ongoing with no clear conclusion yet, said the general, who asked not to be named.

The Palestinian Information Center, a Hamas-run media outlet, said Shehata met with Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal on Saturday in an attempt “to calm the situation and stop the Zionist assault on Gaza.”

Meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Meshaal’s delegation passed along conditions for a process that would ease the situation and reach an agreement.

U.S. fears Israel-Hamas conflict escalates to ground invasion

It wants a halt to “all acts of aggression and assassination” from Israel and a lifting of Israel’s blockade on Gaza in exchange “for stopping the rockets” targeting Israeli cities, the center said.

The center cited sources from the Hamas delegation in Cairo, saying the movement has received a number of requests through European mediators to stop the fighting. Read further.